Marine1:unchellmatt: Unfortunately in the Boston area, there's not much to choose from. Blue Ribbon or Red Bones is pretty much the best as far as I know. If, of course, anyone would care to correct me, I would be much obliged.

Just take a Southwest flight to KC and tool around the BBQ joints.

It's something you need to do before you die, anyways, so get it out of the way.

Yeah, I've been down there and had unbelievable ribs, but the visit to Texas ... lets just say that upon my return to the Boston area I never looked at the two places I mentioned with the same affection I had previously. It was an eye opening experience to find out what really really really good BBQ can be. I can't even remember the name of where I went outside Austin TX, but it was essentially a shack with smokers around it, and crowds of people. Within a mile of the place you could smell it. But holy hades, was that that amazing.

Granddaddy's BBQ in Lawrence KS. Great ribs, great sauce, and on weekend they have BBQ catfish. Old guy with a giant smoker smoking meat all day long just outside the front door. Eleventy kinds of awesome.

I just want to take this opportunity to point out that bar-b-que is meat not sauce. I hear some folks rave about the sauce at so and so's bar-b-que joint. To hell with the sauce. If the meat underneath isn't done right you can't make it good no matter how much burnt ketchup you slather on it.

The best BBQ I've ever eaten was in Abilene Tx. It was a place called turnerhills I think. It closed down a long time ago. It wasnt open every day, and was operated by two elderly black guys. Nothing I've eaten since has come close

My own homemade smoker. My own Angus, and my own wild hogs. Don't need to go to a restaurant. Use applewood, make my own rub ... sauce is for covering up badly done meat. Make my own sausage, hang my own hams.

Bareefer Obonghit:pgh9fan: My son says that mine is the best. I say Wilson's Barbecue in Pittsburgh. (He says that's second best.)

/Good kid

Wilson's ribs are shiatful quality and the sauce is basically tobasco, not to mention their awful sides. But there's also no good bbq in Pittsburgh so I guess you're stuck with it.

Their greens are the best and so is their pie. Ribs and chicken slow-roasted over the only wood-fired stove in the city. Service is excellent and so is the food. Best barbecue around no doubt. Better than what I've eaten in Western North Carolina. (Asheville, Bat Cave, etc,)

The Mrs. and I recently did 4 day day trip to Memphis, with the specific purpose of sampling the best BBQ we could find. Much research went into making our decisions on where to go. Out of the 4 places we went to, here's how we ranked them:

dethmagnetic:Oklahoma Joe's is the best barbecue in Kansas City, which makes it the best barbecue in the world. If you disagree, you are wrong.

Oklahoma Joe's is pretty good, but not even close to the best in KC. Look for a little hole-in-the-wall joint that used to be a gas station but now is a BBQ place - they're all over the city. That's the good stuff, especially if there's an old guy smoking meat right outside. If they have 2 locations, they're probably very, very good. If they have 3 or more locations they're probably mediocre because they're more into selling than barbecuing. Gates is good, not great. Zarda's is good, not great. Arthur Bryants is toxic waste. If you listen to John Madden for your KC BBQ recommendations, you might as well go to Arby's.

Obscure but on topic : There will be no loud or bad talk in this place. That along with SRV on open mic night. BBQ heaven.yes I am old

Also: There is not an excellent BBQ place in KC. If there is, it is probably in a shack or church parking lot somewhere. The best some say in KC is Oklahoma Joes... well it is OK, not great, but better than most in KC.

Coach_J:There is no better evidence of the complete and utter shiatty BBQ quality in Michigan than the people who lose their collective minds for Slows in Detroit.

Put that place in Memphis, KC or Texas and its doors are shuttered in a week. In Detroit, it has legendary status.

X10. Haven't been able to find a place in SE Michigan yet that has better that average BBQ. Sheena Barnes in Sumpter and Randy's in the Irish Hills are supposed to be really good. Need to venture out there one of theses days.

The best ribs I've ever had were from a place in San Bernardino called Shelton's (or Sheldon's?) in the early-to-mid '60s. It was in a low-rent area of town and was old, but very clean. A hand-lettered sign on the wall read:

WhoopAssWayne:Ketchup & brown sugar covered beef does not count as BBQ. Sorry Texas. If you have to mask the flavor of the poor quality meats you use with ketchup, then you're just doing it wrong. Oh, and Lexington BBQ #1 FTW, though true Eastern NC is a tight second - but not that crap they serve in most places in Raleigh passed off as NC BBQ (which amazingly still makes BBQ shows on TV as authentic, clueless.)